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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Pokemon Obsession.... What?

Wow, where did Abundance of Erica go?! I'm so sad I haven't been able to keep this blog updated very much. There's actually no excuse - I just seem to have forgotten! :( I figured I would talk about something a little different today, and that's Pokemon. As we all know, Pokemon Go has taken over the world, and I'm 100% obsessed. I was so excited for this game to release, so when it came out in Australia first, I created an "Australian" iTunes account just so I could download it. I've been playing for around 2 months now and I'm nowhere near as advanced as some other players, but I still enjoy it nonetheless.

That's me!

Unfortunately I don't find myself out and about very often because I work from home and I live in the suburbs, meaning I don't often get rare spawns. The "rarest" thing I would say I've caught is a wild Slowbro. In terms of egg hatches my best one has been a Charmander. I think the app still has a lot of work to do (better Pokemon tracking system, adjust Pokestops based on location - why do I need 100 potions if there are no gyms nearby?!) and the updates roll out quite slowly. Other than that it's been tons of fun.

One of my favorite things to come out of this Pokemon craze is the social aspect of it. I love watching gaming YouTubers go out on catching missions (faves: Lachlan, Vikkstar, Ali A). It's so cute when they meet up with their fans who give them tips on where to find certain Pokemon in the area. I have also loved seeing the positive impact on mental health. The feeling of community is really awesome and I think Connor Manning explains it perfectly (watch below).

Seeing as my capabilities playing Pokemon Go are limited since I don't venture out too much, I actually started playing old Pokemon Gameboy games via an online emulator to get my Pokemon fill, which is just crazy. Like who would've thought at 23 I would be digging up old Gameboy games from the grave and still thoroughly enjoying them?!

I know this kind of thing comes with a lot of criticism, but I hate the thought that people can be too old to enjoy this type of thing. I don't think it's infantilizing at all - these are the games that we grew up with and enjoyed, so there's certainly a sense of nostalgia that comes with it. Personally, the game has gotten me out of the house, getting exercise (whaaaaat? walks and bike rides), and it's a simple incentive to go out and explore. The people who criticize are the people who don't understand that some things can be fun just for the sake of it. There's no "point" and there doesn't have to be. I can be invested in Pokemon Go and do other more "productive" things equally. They don't cancel out.

Anyway, these are my thoughts about Pokemon Go. Overall I'm excited for new game updates and I can't wait for them to introduce Gen 2!